[OVERVIEW]
With an incredible Fire / Ghost STAB combination, sky-high Special Attack, and good Speed tier, Blacephalon is a dangerous offensive threat in generation 8 OverUsed. Choice Scarf sets take advantage of its Speed tier and ability in Beast Boost to revenge kill faster threats like Dragapult and Weavile and cleave through weakened teams, while Choice Specs variants can break through would-be checks like Toxapex and Gastrodon with some chip damage. However, while the extraterrestrial clown has a good Speed tier, Choice Specs sets are vulnerable to being revenge killed by even faster threats such as Weavile and Dragapult, and even Choice Scarf sets have to contend with fellow Ultra Beast Kartana, which outspeeds it by one point and is a fantastic Choice Scarf user in its own right. Moreover, its miserable bulk and weakness to Stealth Rock mean that it can almost never switch into an attack and is extremely reliant on pivoting support to get on the field safely. However, with the right pieces that can compensate for the aforementioned weaknesses, Blacephalon can blow the minds of unsuspecting teams at the drop of a hat.
[SET]
Choice Scarf (Blacephalon) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
- Fire Blast / Toxic / Substitute
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Choice Scarf Blacephalon is one of the best revenge killers and late-game sweepers in the metagame. Trick can cripple defensive checks like Blissey, Tyranitar, and Toxapex that are not particularly bothered by its STAB moves by limiting their move choices whenever they enter the field. There are a number of options for its final moveslot. Fire Blast can be used if Blacephalon desires extra power to make sweeping late-game easier, letting it 2HKO physically defensive Clefable and OHKO Protect Melmetal, but Toxic is a viable alternative that puts checks like Gastrodon and Tyranitar on a timer. Substitute allows Blacephalon to dodge status such as Thunder Wave from Clefable or Toxic from Blissey and Toxapex so it can attack multiple times after using Trick on a target. A Timid nature is generally preferred to maximize Blacephalon's revenge killing and sweeping capabilities, but a Modest nature can be used for extra power at the cost of being outsped by Scale Shot Garchomp at +1, Galarian Moltres with a neutral nature at +2, and other Choice Scarf users such as Urshifu-R and Timid Tapu Lele.
Team Options
========
Since Choice Scarf Blacephalon offers wonderful speed control and a strong late-game presence, teammates that can punch through defensive cores in the earlier stages of the game synergize extremely well with it. Therefore, wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Tapu Lele and Dragapult make for great teammates; Tapu Lele can remove special walls like Blissey and Gastrodon with Psyshock and wears down a common check in Heatran, while Dragapult forms a Ghost-type spam core with Blacephalon that can overwhelm shared checks like Tyranitar, Tapu Fini, and specially defensive Toxapex. Tapu Lele also has the additional bonus of setting up Psychic Terrain, which blocks priority moves such as Aqua Jet from Urshifu-R when Blacephalon is trying to sweep late-game. As Blacephalon is incredibly frail and weak to Stealth Rock, slow pivots and good hazard removers are almost mandatory teammates. Landorus-T compresses both roles excellently with access to Defog and a slow U-turn, allowing it to remove Stealth Rock from the likes of Heatran and Garchomp, that are often employed to check Blacephalon, before safely bringing it onto the field. Landorus-T can also be a reliable Stealth Rock setter if paired with another Defogger to wear down the likes of Tapu Fini, Toxapex, and Tyranitar. Tornadus-T and Zapdos are strong alternative Defoggers that provide pivoting support with U-turn and Volt Switch, respectively, and are great checks to Kartana, particularly Choice Scarf variants. Zapdos has the distinction of helping with Blacephalon's checks by threatening Water-types like Toxapex and Tapu Fini and wearing down Ground-types like Gastrodon and Landorus-T that also check Blacephalon with Hurricane and Toxic. As Tyranitar stonewalls Blacephalon, proper checks to it are greatly appreciated. Buzzwole is an exemplary partner, as it not only checks Tyranitar reliably with its access to Roost but also chases out Ground-types like Landorus-T and Garchomp with Ice Punch and special walls like Blissey with STAB Close Combat.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Taunt is a more proactive alternative to Substitute on Choice Scarf sets by preventing passive checks such as Blissey, Toxapex, and Hippowdon from setting up entry hazards, spreading status, and recovering, but Toxapex can heavily damage Blacephalon with Knock Off or Scald, while Hippowdon can outright KO Blacephalon with Earthquake. A Heavy-Duty Boots set with Flame Charge can be used as a late-game sweeper against weakened defensive teams without being locked into a move like Choice Scarf sets, but such variants lack the immediate power of Choice Specs and the Speed control of Choice Scarf. Expanding Force is a viable coverage move on Psychic Terrain teams to lure in and KO Toxapex, but unboosted Blacephalon lacks the power to break through Toxapex if Psychic Terrain is not active. Choice Scarf sets can consider running Explosion on hyper offense teams, as Blacephalon has a strong Attack stat that can take advantage of special walls like Blissey and Gastrodon while giving free entry to a teammate after fainting, but this is very risky, as Explosion is still unable to KO the aforementioned Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Tyranitar**: Sand-boosted special bulk and resistances to both Fire- and Ghost-type moves make Tyranitar the greatest roadblock to Blacephalon in the metagame, as it can retaliate with devastating power from its Choice Band sets or use Blacephalon as Stealth Rock or status fodder. However, Tyranitar generally dislikes Trick, as it is reliant on Choice Band for power or Leftovers for recovery and it can be worn down over the course of a game due to its lack of reliable recovery.
**Blissey**: With its access to Natural Cure, gargantuan special bulk, and immunity to Shadow Ball, Blissey can effectively ignore Blacephalon's attacks and the threat of Toxic while generating progress for its own team by setting up Stealth Rock, spreading status with Toxic or Thunder Wave, or bringing in a wallbreaker with Teleport. However, Blissey despises being Tricked, as a Choice item ruins its ability to flexibly respond to opposing threats, and it is vulnerable to Substitute or Taunt from Choice Scarf sets.
**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Toxapex and Tapu Fini resist Flamethrower and have the bulk to stomach Shadow Ball before retaliating with Scald or Knock Off. Both hold the distinction of being immune to Toxic thanks to the former's secondary typing and the latter's ability, but both are greatly annoyed by Trick limiting their options when they enter the field. Moreover, Toxapex is vulnerable to Expanding Force Blacephalon on Psychic Terrain teams while Tapu Fini can only check Blacephalon for a limited number of times due to its lack of reliable recovery. Gastrodon is a unique check to Blacephalon that can foil Blacephalon's attempts to Trick it a Choice item with Sticky Hold while possessing reliable recovery to check Blacephalon in the long run, but it can be worn down by Toxic and dislikes Taunt.
**Revenge Killers**: Despite outspeeding threats like Garchomp, Tapu Lele, and Urshifu, Blacephalon is still slower than some of the tier's strongest threats in Kartana, Weavile, Dragapult, and Zeraora. Kartana is particularly notable, as it is one of the best Choice Scarf users in the tier, so it can reliably revenge kill any variant of Blacephalon with Knock Off. However, none of these Pokemon can safely switch into Blacephalon.
**Ground-types**: Specially defensive Ground-types like Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Hippowdon have the bulk to withstand most of Blacephalon's attacks while being able to OHKO it in return with STAB Earthquake. However, all of them dislike being Choice-locked with Trick or put on a timer with Toxic, while Hippowdon and Landorus-T risk being 2HKOed by Flamethrower from Choice Specs variants. Garchomp and Landorus-T also lack the reliable recovery needed to function as long-term checks to Blacephalon.
**Dragon-types**: Dragonite's access to Multiscale allows it to stomach Blacephalon's attacks fairly well, while Hydreigon's Dark / Dragon typing resists both of Blacephalon's STAB moves. Both Pokemon also have access to reliable recovery in Roost to keep themselves healthy, making them good long-term checks to Blacephalon. However, Trick or Toxic can cripple Dragonite by breaking Multiscale with status or Stealth Rock. Hydreigon dislikes Toxic putting it on a timer but is one of the rare checks to Blacephalon that does not mind being Tricked a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs due to its respectable Speed tier and high Special Attack.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tysonslayer.349443/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
With an incredible Fire / Ghost STAB combination, sky-high Special Attack, and good Speed tier, Blacephalon is a dangerous offensive threat in generation 8 OverUsed. Choice Scarf sets take advantage of its Speed tier and ability in Beast Boost to revenge kill faster threats like Dragapult and Weavile and cleave through weakened teams, while Choice Specs variants can break through would-be checks like Toxapex and Gastrodon with some chip damage. However, while the extraterrestrial clown has a good Speed tier, Choice Specs sets are vulnerable to being revenge killed by even faster threats such as Weavile and Dragapult, and even Choice Scarf sets have to contend with fellow Ultra Beast Kartana, which outspeeds it by one point and is a fantastic Choice Scarf user in its own right. Moreover, its miserable bulk and weakness to Stealth Rock mean that it can almost never switch into an attack and is extremely reliant on pivoting support to get on the field safely. However, with the right pieces that can compensate for the aforementioned weaknesses, Blacephalon can blow the minds of unsuspecting teams at the drop of a hat.
[SET]
Choice Scarf (Blacephalon) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
- Fire Blast / Toxic / Substitute
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Choice Scarf Blacephalon is one of the best revenge killers and late-game sweepers in the metagame. Trick can cripple defensive checks like Blissey, Tyranitar, and Toxapex that are not particularly bothered by its STAB moves by limiting their move choices whenever they enter the field. There are a number of options for its final moveslot. Fire Blast can be used if Blacephalon desires extra power to make sweeping late-game easier, letting it 2HKO physically defensive Clefable and OHKO Protect Melmetal, but Toxic is a viable alternative that puts checks like Gastrodon and Tyranitar on a timer. Substitute allows Blacephalon to dodge status such as Thunder Wave from Clefable or Toxic from Blissey and Toxapex so it can attack multiple times after using Trick on a target. A Timid nature is generally preferred to maximize Blacephalon's revenge killing and sweeping capabilities, but a Modest nature can be used for extra power at the cost of being outsped by Scale Shot Garchomp at +1, Galarian Moltres with a neutral nature at +2, and other Choice Scarf users such as Urshifu-R and Timid Tapu Lele.
Team Options
========
Since Choice Scarf Blacephalon offers wonderful speed control and a strong late-game presence, teammates that can punch through defensive cores in the earlier stages of the game synergize extremely well with it. Therefore, wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Tapu Lele and Dragapult make for great teammates; Tapu Lele can remove special walls like Blissey and Gastrodon with Psyshock and wears down a common check in Heatran, while Dragapult forms a Ghost-type spam core with Blacephalon that can overwhelm shared checks like Tyranitar, Tapu Fini, and specially defensive Toxapex. Tapu Lele also has the additional bonus of setting up Psychic Terrain, which blocks priority moves such as Aqua Jet from Urshifu-R when Blacephalon is trying to sweep late-game. As Blacephalon is incredibly frail and weak to Stealth Rock, slow pivots and good hazard removers are almost mandatory teammates. Landorus-T compresses both roles excellently with access to Defog and a slow U-turn, allowing it to remove Stealth Rock from the likes of Heatran and Garchomp, that are often employed to check Blacephalon, before safely bringing it onto the field. Landorus-T can also be a reliable Stealth Rock setter if paired with another Defogger to wear down the likes of Tapu Fini, Toxapex, and Tyranitar. Tornadus-T and Zapdos are strong alternative Defoggers that provide pivoting support with U-turn and Volt Switch, respectively, and are great checks to Kartana, particularly Choice Scarf variants. Zapdos has the distinction of helping with Blacephalon's checks by threatening Water-types like Toxapex and Tapu Fini and wearing down Ground-types like Gastrodon and Landorus-T that also check Blacephalon with Hurricane and Toxic. As Tyranitar stonewalls Blacephalon, proper checks to it are greatly appreciated. Buzzwole is an exemplary partner, as it not only checks Tyranitar reliably with its access to Roost but also chases out Ground-types like Landorus-T and Garchomp with Ice Punch and special walls like Blissey with STAB Close Combat.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Taunt is a more proactive alternative to Substitute on Choice Scarf sets by preventing passive checks such as Blissey, Toxapex, and Hippowdon from setting up entry hazards, spreading status, and recovering, but Toxapex can heavily damage Blacephalon with Knock Off or Scald, while Hippowdon can outright KO Blacephalon with Earthquake. A Heavy-Duty Boots set with Flame Charge can be used as a late-game sweeper against weakened defensive teams without being locked into a move like Choice Scarf sets, but such variants lack the immediate power of Choice Specs and the Speed control of Choice Scarf. Expanding Force is a viable coverage move on Psychic Terrain teams to lure in and KO Toxapex, but unboosted Blacephalon lacks the power to break through Toxapex if Psychic Terrain is not active. Choice Scarf sets can consider running Explosion on hyper offense teams, as Blacephalon has a strong Attack stat that can take advantage of special walls like Blissey and Gastrodon while giving free entry to a teammate after fainting, but this is very risky, as Explosion is still unable to KO the aforementioned Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Tyranitar**: Sand-boosted special bulk and resistances to both Fire- and Ghost-type moves make Tyranitar the greatest roadblock to Blacephalon in the metagame, as it can retaliate with devastating power from its Choice Band sets or use Blacephalon as Stealth Rock or status fodder. However, Tyranitar generally dislikes Trick, as it is reliant on Choice Band for power or Leftovers for recovery and it can be worn down over the course of a game due to its lack of reliable recovery.
**Blissey**: With its access to Natural Cure, gargantuan special bulk, and immunity to Shadow Ball, Blissey can effectively ignore Blacephalon's attacks and the threat of Toxic while generating progress for its own team by setting up Stealth Rock, spreading status with Toxic or Thunder Wave, or bringing in a wallbreaker with Teleport. However, Blissey despises being Tricked, as a Choice item ruins its ability to flexibly respond to opposing threats, and it is vulnerable to Substitute or Taunt from Choice Scarf sets.
**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Toxapex and Tapu Fini resist Flamethrower and have the bulk to stomach Shadow Ball before retaliating with Scald or Knock Off. Both hold the distinction of being immune to Toxic thanks to the former's secondary typing and the latter's ability, but both are greatly annoyed by Trick limiting their options when they enter the field. Moreover, Toxapex is vulnerable to Expanding Force Blacephalon on Psychic Terrain teams while Tapu Fini can only check Blacephalon for a limited number of times due to its lack of reliable recovery. Gastrodon is a unique check to Blacephalon that can foil Blacephalon's attempts to Trick it a Choice item with Sticky Hold while possessing reliable recovery to check Blacephalon in the long run, but it can be worn down by Toxic and dislikes Taunt.
**Revenge Killers**: Despite outspeeding threats like Garchomp, Tapu Lele, and Urshifu, Blacephalon is still slower than some of the tier's strongest threats in Kartana, Weavile, Dragapult, and Zeraora. Kartana is particularly notable, as it is one of the best Choice Scarf users in the tier, so it can reliably revenge kill any variant of Blacephalon with Knock Off. However, none of these Pokemon can safely switch into Blacephalon.
**Ground-types**: Specially defensive Ground-types like Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Hippowdon have the bulk to withstand most of Blacephalon's attacks while being able to OHKO it in return with STAB Earthquake. However, all of them dislike being Choice-locked with Trick or put on a timer with Toxic, while Hippowdon and Landorus-T risk being 2HKOed by Flamethrower from Choice Specs variants. Garchomp and Landorus-T also lack the reliable recovery needed to function as long-term checks to Blacephalon.
**Dragon-types**: Dragonite's access to Multiscale allows it to stomach Blacephalon's attacks fairly well, while Hydreigon's Dark / Dragon typing resists both of Blacephalon's STAB moves. Both Pokemon also have access to reliable recovery in Roost to keep themselves healthy, making them good long-term checks to Blacephalon. However, Trick or Toxic can cripple Dragonite by breaking Multiscale with status or Stealth Rock. Hydreigon dislikes Toxic putting it on a timer but is one of the rare checks to Blacephalon that does not mind being Tricked a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs due to its respectable Speed tier and high Special Attack.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tysonslayer.349443/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
